Room air-conditioner one-piece chassis

ABSTRACT

This invention provides a one-piece chassis for a room airconditioner. Basically, this one-piece chassis comprises an inverted generally T-shaped member which includes a base portion and a barrier portion that is integrally formed with and extends generally upwardly from the base portion and divides the member into an indoor section and an outdoor section.

United States Patent 1191 Berg 1 1 Apr. 17, 1973 [5 ROOM AIR-CONDITIONER ONE-PIECE 2,945,357 7/1960 MaCLeOCl ..62 262 CHASSIS 2,945,359 7/1960 MacLeod ..62/262 3,007,323 1 1/1961 lviillington.... .....62/244 [75] lnvenm Davd Lousvlue 3,111,076 11/1963 Martin ..62 262 [73] Assignee: General Electric Company, Louisill Ky, Primary Examiner-William J. Wye [22] Filed Sept 3 1971 AttorneyWalter E. Rule, Francis H. Boos, Jr., Oscar [21] Appl.N0.: 177,676

B. Waddell, Joseph B. Forman and Frank L. Neuhauser 52 US. (:1. ..62/262, 62/295, 62/429 [571 ABSTRACT [51] hit. Cl ..F25d 23/ 12 This invention provides a one piece chassis for a room [58] Fleld of Search ..62/262, 428, 429, aipconditionen Basically, this one piece chassis 62/295 prises an inverted generally T-shaped member which includes a base portion and a barrier portion that is in- [56] References C'ted tegrally formed with and extends generally upwardly UNITED STATES PATENTS from the base portion and divides the member into an indoor section and an outdoor section. 2,240,784 5/1941 Jewell ..L "62/295 2,751,760 6/1956 Williams, ...62/429 1 Claim, 5 Drawing figures 2,939,297 6/1960 Karger ..62/262 l 1 [8p IS I 182 l 1 27 l l l4- 1 e 1 i '1 321, 36 \l l 37 SOQ- 1 PATENIEB m 1 7 ma SHEET 2 BF 2 INVENTOR DAVlD R. BERG ATTORNEY ROOM AIR-CONDITIONER ONE-PIECE CHASSIS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to air-conditioning apparatus and, more particularly, to a one-piece chassis for a room air-conditioner.

In the past, room air-conditioners have usually included a chassis composed of a metallic base pan member and a separately formed metallic barrier member that has been welded or mechanically fastened to the base pan member to extend upwardly from it and thus divide the conventional chassis into an indoor section and an outdoor section. US. Pat. No. 3,022,647- Mullin describes a typical form of such a prior-art, multi-piece room air-conditioner chassis.

In employing the aforedescribed multi-piece chassis it has been difficult to obtain a good, strong bond between the base pan member and the lower edge of the barrier member. This has, in turn, made it difficult to obtain a satisfactory fluid-tight seal between the indoor section and the outdoor section and has, on occasions, presented a problem of irritating noise resulting from vibration between the lower edge of the barrier member and the base pan member.

Furthermore, when using the aforenoted prior-art, multi-piece chassis it has been common practice to mount other components, such as the compressor, condenser, evaporator, fan motor, control box, etc., which form the air-conditioner, to the chassis with mechanical fastening means such as screws, bolts, etc. This has usually required punching and tapping of holes in the chassis to receive the fastener means. Further hole punching has also normally been required to provide the fan motor shaft with a passageway through the barrier portion, drain means through the base pan member, etc.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION plastic compound for reasons of reduced weight and corrosion and superior accoustical properties, and is provided with means that are integrally formed with it during its molding for carrying it, for mounting and receiving a compressor, for mounting and receiving a blower motor, for mounting control means, for drain- BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The present invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a somewhat schematic, partly-broken, frag-- mentary top plan view of a room air-conditioner employing a presently preferred form of the novel onepiece chassis that is provided in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1',

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged elevational perspective view of the front or indoor section side of a presently preferred form of the one-piece chassis that is provided in accordance with the present invention; and

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 but showing the rear or outdoor section side of the one-piece chassis.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EIVIBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings and particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2 thereof, there is illustrated a room airconditioner 10 employing a presently preferred form of the one-piece chassis 11 that is provided in accordance with the present invention.

Basically, the one-piece chassis 11 comprisesan in- .verted generally T-shaped member which includes a base portion 12 having an upturned border and a barrier portion 13 that is integrally formed with and extends generally upwardly from the base portion 12 and divides the chassis member 11 into a front section 14 and a rear section 15.

The bottom of the base portion 12 is adapted to rest directly on the lower edge of an opening into a room (not shown), such as can be provided by a hole in the building wall, a window, etc., in such a manner that the front section 14 of the unitary chassis member 11 faces interiorly of the room, while its rear section 15 is exposed to air outside the building.

As best shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, air-conditioning means, including a room-air heat exchanger 16, are mounted on the front or indoor section 14 of the chassis member 11, while an outside-air heat exchanger 17 and fluid compressor 18 are mounted on the rear or outdoor section 15 of the chassis member 11. The two heat exchangers 16 and 17 and the compressor 18 are fluid-connected in a series flow relationship by means of suitable conduits (not shown in detail) in a wellknown manner to form a conventional compressorcondenser-evaporator refrigerating system, wherein one of the heat exchangers 16 or 17 functions to absorb heat and the other heat exchanger functions to dissipate heat. Usually, the room-air heat exchanger 16 functions as an evaporator or heat absorbing element to cool and dehumidify room air that is circulated past it for conditioning by it. In such an arrangement, the outside-air heat exchanger 17 serves as the condenser or heat dissipation element of the system. However, it is not uncommon to include provisions for reversing the functions of the heat exchangers 16 and 17, whereby the room-air heat exchanger 16 can be caused to condi- 22 or similar mechanical fasteners, to the rear or outdoor face of the barrier portion 13. The motor has a first output shaft 23 which extends toward the outdoors direction and is connected to the fan 19, and an oppositely extending second output shaft 24 that extends through an opening, which will be described in detail hereinafter, that is provided in the barrier portion 13. This second output shaft 24 is connected to another fan 25 that is located on the front or indoor section 14 of the chassis member 11 for drawing air from the room and past the room-air heat exchanger 16 for conditioning thereby and subsequent return to the room.

Preferably, the one-piece chassis member 11 is formed from a plastic compound. Good results have been obtained by molding the chassis member 11 from a thermosetting, glass fiber-filled, polyester compound. However, it should be understood that various other high strength, rigid, flame-retardant, thermosetting, plastic compounds could also be utilized, e.g., reinforced phenolic resin compounds, etc.

In further accordance with the present invention and as best shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, other means are preferably integrally formed with the one-piece chassis member 11 during its molding, whereby the need for performing further mechanical modifications to the unitary chassis member 11 subsequent to its initial for mation can be eliminated or greatly reduced.

More specifically, the chassis member 11 is preferably provided with handle means comprising a hand opening 26 that is integrally formed in the upper end of the barrier portion 13. And, as best shown in FIG. 5, the barrier portion 13 also preferably has its outdoor side face provided with a pair of integrally formed indentations 27 and 28. One'of these indentations 27 is adapted to receive a portion of the casing of the compressor 18, while the other indentation 28 is adapted to receive a portion of the fan motor housing 21. Also, preferably integrally formed with the barrier portion 13 during its molding, are several other openings. These several integrally formed openings include a passageway 24a for the fan motor output shaft 24 that is surrounded by four openings 22a for the fan motor housing-mounting machine screws 22, and three openings 18a-18c located adjacent to the compressor housing-receiving indentation 27. One of these latter three. openings 18a allows passage of refrigerant fluid conduit means through the barrier portion 13, while the second 18b allows passage of electrical wiring therethrough, and the third 186 receives a self-tapping screw 18d for fastening to the barrier portion 13 a mounting bracket 18c that is, in turn, connected to the top of the compressor 18 through an elastomeric shock mount 18f(FlGS. 1 and 2).

As further shown in FIG. 5, the outdoor section 15 of the chassis member base portion 12 is preferably provided with integrally formed condensate collection and drain means respectively in the form of an indented drip pan portion 29 and an elevated overflow opening 30. This outdoor section 15 of the chassis base portion '12 is also preferably provided with integrally formed means comprising a pair of cups 31a and 31b for 39 for a wall opening mounting the chassis 11. While receiving resilient means in the fonn of a pair of coil springs 32a and 32b for mounting the bottom of the compressor 18, as shown in detail in FIG. 3, and is further preferably provided with inte ally formed means in the form 0 an embossed area 3 for receiving an adjustable jack screw 34 for controlling the tilt of the base portion 12 as related to the lower edge of the wall opening.

Turning now to FIG. 4, it is also shown that the front or indoor section 14 of the chassis member barrier 'portion 13 is preferably provided with integrally formed, hollow, open box-like portion 35 for mounting an electrical control box of well-known construction (not shown) for the air-conditioner 10. In addition, this control box-receiving portion 35 and the base portion 12' and barrier portion 13 are also preferably provided with a plurality of integrallY formed, centrally-cored bosses 36 that are adapted to receive self-tapping screws for removably fastening the control means and other components, such as a louvered plastic cover 37, to the unitary chassis member 11 (FIG. 2).

As further shown in FIGS. 1-2 and 4-5 the barrier portion 13 of the one-piece chassis 11 is further preferably provided with track means 38 integrally formed on its outer edges for receiving closure means extensible curtain member 41 that has its inner end 7 connected to the vertical edge of the barrier portion 13 by fastener means and whose outer edge is connected to the bight portion of the frame means 40 that'is adapted to be extended into engagement with a vertical edge of the wall opening. It should be apparent to those skilled in the art that while there has been described what, at the present, is considered to be the preferred embodiment of this invention in accordance with the Patent Statutes, changes may be made in the disclosed apparatus without actually departing from the true spirit and scope of this invention. It is, therefore, intended that the appended claims shall cover such modifications and applications that may not depart from the true spirit and scopeof the present invention.

What is claimed'is: l. A one-piece chassis for a room air-conditioner, comprising:

an inverted generally T-shaped molded plastic member including: abase portion; and 1 a barrier portion integrally formed with and extending generally upwardly from said base portion and dividing said member into an indoor section and an outdoor section; said barrier portion further including handle means integrally formed with its upper end.

I III i I 

1. A one-piece chassis for a room air-conditioner, comprising: an inverted generally T-shaped molded plastic member including: a base portion; and a barrier portion integrally formed with and extending generally upwardly from said base portion and dividing said member into an indoor section and an outdoor section; said barrier portion further including handle means integrally formed with its upper end. 